Arusha — Longido is yet to get back the about 200,000 cattle that were driven out of the District early this year to escape drought spell.

The District Commissioner, James Ole Millya stated that the figure was equivalent to 95 percent of the total number of cattle previously recorded in the windswept, famine razed, vicinity, whose residents rely heavily on livestock keeping as their economic mainstay.

It is reported that cattle keepers in the District trekked with the animals in search for greener pastures in neighboring Ngorongoro and Monduli Districts of Arusha and Handeni in Tanga. But the area member of parliament, Mr Michael Lekule Laizer pointed out that the exodus was like jumping from frying pan into the fire.

"A lot of animals died on the way while others were decimated alongside their counterparts in Monduli and Ngorongoro where drought took even a more devastating toll on both animals and vegetations in the area," he said.

Now as rains start to fall in most parts of the District, most residents of Longido are just staring each other because most of the cattle that were sent out to seek better pastures during drought period have not returned and those that got back are yet to regain their full healthy composure.

"The majority of Longido residents do not have cattle at the moment and the area as it can be observed is not arable," added the MP. Longido ground is rocky and the area has very few water sources mostly seasonal springs located extremely far apart.

On his part the District Commissioner added that his office will be conducting a survey on each household to determine for sure how bad the situation was but as far as he is concerned 80 percent of the 200,000 cattle that set out to find greener pastures died.